Book Review: Hot for Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

Title: Hot for Fireman
Series: The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #2
Author: Jennifer Bernard
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: Edelweiss
Published: May 29, 2012 by Avon

Ryan Blake got suspended from the San Gabriel firefighters a year and a half ago for a daredevil act that nearly killed someone. Now he’s back in San Gabriel, fighting to return to the force. He takes a job at a local dive, the Hair of the Dog, while he studies for the test that will get him his job back.

But the real test comes in the form of Katie Dane, bar manager. Katie got stuck running the family bar when her father had a heart attack. The place is losing money like crazy and the insurance is about to lapse. Her desperate solution? Burn the place down, collect a million dollars. The only problem--little does she know, her new bartender is actually a firefighter.

Can a professional fireman and a wannabe firebug ever manage to get along? More importantly, can they stay away from each other and/or keep from ruining each other’s careers? Not likely. This is San Gabriel, after all.

Why I Read this Book: I read The Fireman Who Loved Me (my review), the first book in this series, and I thought it was a fun read. I love firefighters (who doesn’t?) so I’m going to keep reading this series for now. 

What I Liked: Hot for Fireman was fun to read. You can’t take it too seriously or some parts will get to you. (Like a fireman falling for an arsonist.)

I love the camaraderie between the guys at the station. They’re always willing to provide a helping hand, even when it comes to dancing on the bar top in their birthday suits shaking what their mama’s gave them. This visualization slapped a goofy grin on my face. This was probably my favorite scene.

I like how dedicated Ryan was as a firefighter. It’s in his blood.

What I Didn’t Like: I hated Katie’s parents for dumping the Hair of the Dog bar on Katie. It was too much for Katie to handle. The stress gave Katie’s father a heart attack for crying out loud. And while her parents were living it up in Mexico on vacay, Katie was left drowning in the bar’s financial problems, causing Katie to make some dumb decisions. Why didn’t the parents just sell the place instead?

The ending was too convenient. Everything just magically fell into place, all wrapped up with a nice pink bow on top. I’m all for a HEA but I wanted more realistic ending.

I like heroines with some meat on their bones. When I read the word ‘hipbone’, not once but 3 times, I’m thinking she needs to eat a cheeseburger or two.

He wanted to run his tongue from the soft tip of her lower rib along the delicious slope that led to her hipbone.

...a skintight dress that revealed the subtle movements of the girl’s hipbones as she made her way across the floor.

He stroked the curve of her waist, the little hidden nook under her hipbone.

Memorable Moments:

“You owe me for that. Shirt for a shirt,. Come on, hand it over.”

“Got a boys’ room here, or should I water a plant?”

“Damn it, Hoagie, you know I tested negative. I posted the results on Facebook.”

Overall Impression: Now that I know to expect more of a fun read rather than a serious one, I’m curious to see what the next book in this series brings.

Brianna’s Rating: